Muir 43 all out
Frederik Tladi 2/2
Matthew Weber 3/4
Josh Potts 3/6

Graeme won by 164 runs.

“It is a privilege to be a South African and it is a privilege to be working at Graeme College. Being a Grade 12 History teacher is also a privilege – as I am reminded on a daily basis where we have come from as a nation. Engaging with our history also makes me determined to be a part of building a South Africa that most of us want to see in the future – which is why I teach at Graeme College. So where are we going as a school? To answer that question, I will start in the past.

The Grade 7 learners visit the Steve Biko Museum in Qonce (formerly Kingwilliamstown and Mr Ralo’s territory) as part of their Grade 7 camp. How many of you boys have heard of Steve Biko? Steven Bantu Biko is a South African hero. He is a hero because he gave up his life, fighting for a just and peaceful South Africa. He was a highly intelligent young man, who was studying to become a doctor. However, he realised that he had a more important task in life and that was to defeat apartheid, so he gave up his medical studies. In fighting apartheid he became an enemy of the government and he was arrested and beaten to death by the police.

We are an interesting country in that we have produced many people who one would consider heroic – you may have your won specific hero. Often, however, that heroism was in response to things that were dark and evil. So we can’t necessarily celebrate our past, but we can celebrate what that past brought out of people. South Africa has been – and still is – a breeding ground for heroes.

I asked the question earlier – where are we going as a school? Well, that depends on all of us sitting here together in his hall. Steve Biko decided that he was willing to die for a better South Africa. What are each of us willing to give, as we strive to be the best public boys’ school in South Africa?

I think a great many of us are willing to – and already do – give a great deal to the College. The one way that I like to think about Graeme College is as a community of heroes. Should it be necessary to be a hero to make a school work? Maybe not. But we are no ordinary school and we live in a not so ordinary country. So yes, I believe that in many ways we will have to be heroes if Graeme College is to remain at the forefront of education in South Africa.

Our Graeme parents are our first heroes. To be a successful parent in the 21st century is no easy task. To raise boys who are successful, respectful, ambitious, caring, honest and upright is hard. It’s hard – but if you are willing to do that hard work, it’s doable. If you are getting this right, as a great many Graeme parents are, then you are my hero. Graeme College parents also have to make financial sacrifices. For example, you pay to travel with the Graeme family to watch and support our rugby teams, you pay your school fees on time and in full – to the great many who do, you are my heroes.

Our teachers are our next group of heroes. And understand this clearly – teachers at Graeme College are most definitely heroes. They are heroes because of how much they give. Graeme teachers give and give and give – and importantly, they give without receiving any additional financial remuneration. They give because they believe in Graeme College and they believe in your boys, our Graemians. Heroes make sacrifices. One of the ways in which Graeme teachers sacrifice is through the amount of time that they commit to the school and the quality of work that they do during that time – often, way beyond the call of duty. Some examples – Mr Fischer, Mr Mafane and Mr Schneigansz are heroes because they coach cricket and rugby. This means that every single Saturday of their year (sometimes even in the holidays) is given over to their cricket and rugby boys. And what a job they do. Mrs Danilatos and Mr Dettmer are heroes – giving up a week of their lives to give a group of Grade 7s the experience of a lifetime in Cape Town. Mr Bodenstein is a hero – single-handedly organizing a primary schools squash festival that is attended by schools from around the country. Mr Kilian is a hero – organizing multiple rugby fixtures for every single Junior School rugby team over a 20-week season. Mrs Greyling is a hero, who in her 30th year of teaching at the College, becomes a Graeme legend. Consistent decency, kindness, professionalism day after day after, for 30 years – and counting. Mrs Banks is a hero for getting the Junior Choir up and running and performing. Mrs Busshion is a hero for the beautiful artwork that comes out of the art room. Mr Xonxa is a hero for being a fantastic role-model to our boys in showing what can be achieved in life and having a proper spirit of adventure. Ms de Jongh is a hero for her acts of kindness and creativity, such as her t-shirt design competition. Finally, Mr Watson and Mr von Molendorff are heroes, for being willing to lead in the tough, tiring, energy-sapping environment that public school education can be. The list goes on and on…and the high school or Foundation Phase would tell exactly the same story. Good people of the Graeme College community, recognise what you have here at Graeme College – and out of that recognition let gratefulness, thankfulness, appreciation, support and protection flow.

Our next group of heroes are the Graemians seated here today. Often, a hero is a hero because they achieve something even though the odds are stacked against them. We have heroes in spades here. In every test passed, in every distinction gained, we have a hero. In every act of respect, such as greeting an adult and allowing them to walk first through a door, we have a hero. In the Grade 5 boy who saw something that he knew was wrong and immediately reported it to his class teacher, we have a hero. In every act of determination and courage on the sports field, we have heroes. In publicly performing as a music student, as an individual or as a group, we have heroes. In a Grade 7 monitor putting up and taking down the South African flag every single day, without fail, we have a hero. In our 4 best speakers operating at the highest level we have seen in years – we have heroes. The list goes on and on and on. Well done boys, understand what your achievements – big and small mean – you are my heroes. Keep it up. Keep fighting the good fight. And, through your heroic acts – big and small – continue to make the College the magnificent and special place that it is.

I believe that Graeme College is a community of heroes because of what it achieves with what it has. We remember David defeating Goliath because it was an unlikely outcome – a young boy volunteers to fight an enormous adult warrior, who none of the adult Israelite soldiers are willing to fight and he defeats him. Graeme College achieves beyond expectations time and time and time again. Graeme College is a modern-day David, staring down whatever it faces – because the battles are many and can be properly intimidating – and prevailing and emerging victorious – time and time again.

So my challenge to all of us seated here today – as well as those who are not present – is that we will all have to be heroes if Graeme College is going to continue to succeed and flourish in the future. We will all have to continue to make sacrifices. As a teacher with a few decades of experience under the belt I’m telling you that teaching at Graeme College is hard – but it is hard in a good way. Graeme College is a place of purpose where you know that the hardness of the work is OK because it is making a proper difference in this community, in this special nation of South Africa. So to all of us, continue to be a David and continue to slay the Goliaths. This is a school that deserves it. And this is a school that is worth it.

God bless Africa
Guard her children
Guide her leaders
And give her peace
And let that peace begin with me
Virtute et Opera
Courage and Toil
I thank you”

“As we have all heard, Graeme College excelled in 2025 both culturally and academically. If academics and arts are the heart of our school, then our sporting achievements and community involvement are its roar. These aspects of our school were praised not just locally, but nationally. It’s on the fields, our assemblies on Fridays, and through our community outreach projects that we’ve shown what it really means to be a Graemian.

Take cricket at Graeme College. This year, our first team didn’t just impress locally; they captured national attention when they appeared on TV during the Schools SA20 competition. For those unfamiliar, the Schools SA20 brings together 370 schools from across the country, all competing for a single trophy. Led by Mr. Xonxa, our team showed grit, skill and determination, reaching the semi- finals. On the official Schools SA20 page, our team was praised as a group filled with courage and determination; and that’s exactly what it means to be a Graemian.

There were also many individual Graemians rewarded for their talent this year, with around 60 learners representing Eastern Province across various sports. I could stand here and tell the story of each of them but a few truly standout achievements deserve special mention. Erin Nelson featured for the SA Schools ‘A’ rugby team, competing against international sides like France and Georgia in the under-18 series, and was a standout player in both games.

In other less publicised but equally impressive sports, Ashton Burger and Joshua Danilatos showed that Graeme excels across the board. Ashton was crowned South African National U15 Squash Champion, while Joshua was selected for the South African Rock and Surf Super Pro League international fishing team…quite a mouthful. These achievements are a testament not only to individual talent but also to the culture of excellence we cultivate here at Graeme. Noah mentioned the word honours earlier, and our sportsmen certainly lived up to it.

Ayola Mali and Erin Nelson were both awarded Honours for Rugby, while Dinilesizwe Mjuku received Honours for First Aid; a true reflection of their dedication, discipline, and the spirit of excellence that defines a Graemian Speaking of first aid, a sports match legally can’t take place without first aiders on site. Mrs. Pretorius and her team can only be commended for their involvement at every match, both on our grounds and on the astro. They also raised funds for new and improved trauma boards, helping prevent life- changing injuries across all sports, this contribution will undoubtedly continue to protect Graemians and our opponents for many years to come.

Hockey at Graeme College has seen a massive resurgence.

This combination of seasoned players and emerging talent culminated in one of the best hockey seasons in the past five years. Led by Mr. Keys and Mr. Ferreira, this team travelled to Michaelhouse in KwaZulu-Natal for a tournament. Captained by Lutwe Kobese, they showed pure toil and a winning mentality, winning three out of four matches, something that seemed unheard of a few years ago.

Moving onto rugby: before our derby against St. Andrews College this year, Mr. Ralo stood up here and said, “Winners win and losers… I guess we’ll never know.” That simple phrase seemed to ignite numerous triumphs on the rugby field. From famous victories against Dale College, Queens College, and Pretoria Boys’ High, Mr. Van Der Meulen’s players created a culture of winning, always with respect, which also led to their undefeated record at the St. John’s Easter Rugby Festival this year.

This influence was seen best during Legacy Derby Week.

The second edition of this event took place from 7–9 August, with nearly every learner involved in activities against Queens College. This week could have a speech of its own, but the main takeaway is clear: Graemians embody a drive for excellence, regardless of age, sport, or team. From here I can still see people remembering the stress we all felt in those final seconds against Queens College.

If you remember from the beginning of my speech, I spoke about sports and community involvement. As head of the community outreach portfolio this year, I can report that this was another sphere in which our school excelled.

Led by Ms. White, our learners helped hundreds of lives this year. Projects included raising funds for the Sibanye Day Care Centre to build change rooms to restore the dignity of disabled children in our townships. Ekhaya Losizo also received help when a group of our learners restored their play areas by taking time out of their holiday to build sandpits and restore swing sets. Our school is also a proud member of rotary Grahamstown and similar stories like this will undoubtably continue next year and beyond, showing that it’s not just talent or skill that makes a Graemian—it’s a caring heart.

As I close: 272 days. That’s how long all these successes, highlighted by Noah and myself, spanned this year. A Google search might tell you Graeme College is a school in Makhanda with 650 boys… but those of us who stood in these classrooms, who wore this badge on our hearts, know that we were much more than a school in 2025.

We were a brotherhood.
A legacy.
An irrefutable force.

To our teachers, ground staff, sponsors, bus drivers, and parents — thank you. You made it all possible. And to every Graemian sitting here today: never forget that the standard has been set not by perfection, but by courage and toil. This has been Leon Mwepu and Noah Tabensky… and from the learner leadership group of 2025; thank you and long live the Leopard.”

Dale College 1st XI

144/10
Lisekho Zinyane 2/11
Kits McConnachie 2/17
Ajay Jeggels 2/18
Andrew Muir 2/32

Graeme College 1st XI
146/1

Enrique Strydom 58 not out
Corbin Tidbury 36 not out
Siba Deliwe 34

Graeme College 1st XI won by 9 wickets.

Muir 70 all out
Keanu Goliath 4 for 6
Sim Mbuyephi 3 for 22
Gerrit Cloete 2 for 7

Graeme won by 56 runs.

Muir 41 all out
Liya Ntabeni 6-5

Graeme won by 307 runs.